1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hybrid vehicle and a control method thereof, and particularly, relates to a control technique of a hybrid vehicle including an electric motor that generates a running driving force, an internal combustion engine, and a heating system that heats a passenger compartment.
2. Description of Related Art
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-280335 (JP 2010-280335 A) describes a hybrid vehicle including a first heating apparatus that heats a passenger compartment by use of heat of an internal combustion engine, and a second heating apparatus that uses a heat pump. In the hybrid vehicle, it is determined which one of the first heating apparatus and the second heating apparatus is used based on a comparison in magnitude between a cost in a case where the first heating apparatus is used and a cost in a case where the second heating apparatus is used.
A hybrid vehicle including an electric motor that generates a running driving force is able to run while an internal combustion engine is stopped. Particularly, in a so-called plug-in hybrid vehicle in which a power storage device in which to store electric power to be supplied to an electric motor is chargeable from a power supply outside the vehicle, a running range during stopping of an internal combustion engine is enlarged, so that the internal combustion engine can be stopped for a long term. Thus, the hybrid vehicle has a concern that fuel deteriorates due to the fuel being left in a fuel tank for a long term.
The hybrid vehicle described in JP 2010-280335 A is useful in that a cost required for heating is reducible, but it is difficult to satisfy a user request to restrain deterioration of the fuel while heating is performed.